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We come to the close of the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth is a story that could began with the words, "Once upon a time," and you could certainly end the book with the words, "And they lived happily ever after." A little girl had learned the story of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." She was telling the story to her mother. When she got down to the place where the prince kissed Snow White and awakened her from her sleep, the little girl said, "Mother, do you now what happened then?" The mother knowing how the storied ended said, "They lived happily ever after." The little girl said, "Oh no, they got married." In the case of Ruth and Boaz, they got married and they lived happily ever after. Well, I got some good news for you. One of these days we are going to get married and live happily ever after. The last few verses of the Book of Ruth tell us how everything ended up in Ruth's case and they remind us how everything is going to end up in our case. We that are the earthly servants of Christ will one day become the heavenly spouse of Christ. Today we are His workers, one day we will be His wife. One day we will move out of the fields and move into His house. In these closing verses we see: 1. OUR WAITING In Ruth's case, there was a night of waiting. In 4:13, Boaz said to Ruth, "Tarry this night." There was a period of waiting before everything would be legally finalized and personally realized. In our case, we await and anticipate our glorious future and the coming of our Heavenly Bridegroom. He went away and we wait for His return. As we wait, there is: A) A Promise On Which We Rest Notice Ruth 4:13, “Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.” Ruth was to rest in the promise Boaz gave her that he would take care of everything. He said in a nutshell, "Lie down and rest. I will take of everything in the morning.” The Lord gave us His promise that He would come again. Jesus said in John 14:13, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” I read about a London bookmaker that accepted a bet against a visit from outer space. The odds had been 100-1, but they lowered it to 33-1 because of a rash of bets from the United States. The firm said it stands to lose nearly $500,000 if somebody drops in. I say they better drop it lower, for one day Someone will drop in and if I was a gambling man I'd put a bet down on that one. Here is something on which you can hang your hat. Jesus is coming again! That's a promise on which we rest. Boaz said “It shall be in the morning" (4:13). We wait in the night, but morning is coming! Do not despair the sunset for the sunrise is coming. C.A. Blackmore, one of America’s pioneer radio preachers, was preaching on the return of the Lord Jesus. He said, "My friend, we have a glorious hope, the Bible calls it a blessed hope for Christians. The Bible tells us that one day the trumpet will sound and Jesus will come back to take His children home! Dear friend, all your suffering and pain will be over, you'll have a new body, arms and legs that are missing will be replaced ¾ friend, we'll be like Jesus! You'll have a glorified body someday, some golden daybreak when Jesus comes back." A few days later, Blackmore received a letter from a woman listener who had been bed-ridden for years. She wrote, "Rev. Blackmore, the message you gave on Jesus coming was such a blessing to me. I've been an invalid for almost 25 years and sometimes I get so discouraged, I can hardly wait for the Lord to come. To think I'll be able to walk again and there'll be no heartaches there. Thank you so much for your sermon." His son Carl was the pianist and soloist for the broadcast. He too had been moved by what his father had said. Remembering his father’s words, "Some Golden daybreak," he gave us the great hymn:
Some glorious morning sorrow will cease, Some glorious morning all will be peace; Heartaches all ended, Labor all done, Heaven will open, Jesus will come.
Some golden day-break Jesus will come; Some golden day-break battles all won, He'll shout the vict'ry, break thro' the blue, Some golden day-break, for me, for you.
As we wait, there is also: B) The Place In Which We Rest In Ruth 4:13, Boaz said, "Tarry this night." Then we read in 4:14, “And she lay at his feet until the morning." The promise on which we rest is that Jesus will come. The place in which to rest is at his feet. We are to look for Him and live for Him. We are to live a life of expectation and a life of consecration. In 1983, I toured the ruins of Pompeii, Italy that had been destroyed by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Hundred were buried beneath the ash, cinders, and lava. During excavation, people were found in various places and positions. There were some found in deep vaults, having gone there for security. Some were found in lofty chambers, attempting to get above it all. But there was one interesting Roman sentinel that was found. He was found standing at the city gate where he had been placed by the captain, with his hands still grasping his weapon. There, while the earth shook and the floods of ashes and cinders overwhelmed him, he had stood at his post, and there a 1000 years later they found him. Like Ruth, may we stay at His feet till morning. Secondly, in these closing words we are reminded of: 2. HIS WEDDING The night passed, the morning came, and Boaz kept his word. Notice Ruth 4:13, "So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife." You talk about an honorable Bridegroom and a happy bride. You talk about a sweet, special, significant wedding. This wedding certainly was! As we look at this wedding we see: A) A Scene That Is So Thrilling How special this hour must have been to Boaz. He had loved Ruth so much that he had purchased and redeemed her. How special this must have been to Naomi. It was her that first saw the possibilities of all this coming to pass. How special it must have been to Ruth. She was no longer a worker in his field, she was a wife in his arms. I think it is interesting the word that is used to describe Boaz taking Ruth to be his wife. Verse 13, says, "So Boaz took Ruth." The word "took" means "to carry away, to fetch." One of these days our heavenly Boaz will "fetch" us and carry us away. I can only imagine what that hour will be like when Jesus comes and we are called home. John got a glimpse of that thrilling scene in Revelation 19:1-9, “And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” That will be a thrilling scene. That will be a blessed hour. That will be a glorious time. We also see: B) A Story That Is So Touching Boaz was as described, "a mighty man of wealth" (2:1). No doubt, Boaz could have married just about any single woman in town. He was Bethlehem’s most eligible bachelor. He would have been a prize catch for the any of the Bethlehem maids. But Boaz fell in love with Ruth in spite of the fact she was from Moab. Most Jews wouldn't have anything to do with such foreigners. The ideal of marrying one was out of the question. Add to that the fact that Ruth didn't have anything to her name. She was hopeless and helpless. She was having to pick up left-overs in a field just to live. But Boaz fell in love with her and made her his wife. One day we will enjoy being the heavenly bride of the heavenly Bridegroom. When we stand there, it will be as an undeserving bride. All of us will have to say that we don't understand why He would love us and make us His own. Never will what God has done for us be understand anymore than on our wedding day. Lastly, in these closing words we see: 3. OUR WORSHIP We read in 4:13, "So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went into unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son." They had a baby boy. Notice in verse 17 what they named him. "And the women her neighbors gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David." They named him "Obed" which means worship. Boaz and Ruth became husband and wife and it wasn't long that the sound of worship filled their home. First, I am reminded that worship is the: A) Precious Result Of Our Love Obed was the result of Ruth's and Boaz love for each other. Our worship is the result of our love for Him. The more we understand His love for us the more we love Him. The more we love Him the more we worship Him. I am also reminded that worship is the: B) Proper Response Of Our Life No doubt Ruth wanted to give Boaz a son. After all he had done for her, this was what she wanted to give him. One day Jesus will come. We will become His wife for all eternity. He will be the object of our affection and the occupation of our time. He will be worshipped and rightly so. Yes, we will live happily ever after. What a wonderful story is THE LOVE STORY OF REDEMPTION! |
